HMRC has clearly been unsuccessful at claiming these duties for some time and... it needs to take decisive action.

The “tax gap” would be enough to fund a 1.5p cut in the basic rate of Income Tax, according to the TA report.

“HMRC has clearly been unsuccessful at claiming
these duties for some time and therefore it needs to take decisive
action, not introduce policies that make it worse. It is unfair that
higher taxes for ordinary families are often used to make up the
shortfall.

The loss of £31.8 billion in revenue over a five year period could
have funded a 1.5p cut in the basic rate of Income Tax. Not only would
this have helped millions of ordinary families, but it would also have
had a big impact on the jobs market, which is particularly important at
this time.”

John O'Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said:

"Our ludicrously complicated, punitive tax system not only hits
hard-pressed families with crippling bills but also affects frontline
services by depriving Treasury of revenue lost to the black market, all
the while lining the pockets of those peddling dodgy tobacco, alcohol
and diesel.

The revenue lost to the illicit trade could fund a modest but much
needed tax cut for millions of families while preventing smugglers from
profiting because of deeply regressive 'sin taxes' which hit the poorest
hardest.

It is high time the Government offered struggling taxpayers a better
deal instead of kowtowing to the self-appointed lifestyle police who
remain oblivious to the cost of ever-rising duties on ordinary
taxpayers."

Out here in the colonies, "black market" tobacco is in a sort of legal no man's land on the Indian Reserves. Our 'Fist Nations' are not subject to federal or provincial taxes and can freely cross the Canada-US border without being stopped. Consequently a major source of revenue on the reserves is cheap smokes and there is nothing the Government can do about it.While you are there stocking up on fags, it is also a good place to gas up your car, for the same reason.

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